


First Meeting

by Leni



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-09
Updated: 2016-11-09
Packaged: 2018-08-30 01:31:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8513572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leni/pseuds/Leni
Summary: Prequel to Unconventional Enough.Belle meets her fiancé's son.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Joylee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joylee/gifts).



> Prompt: Unconventional Enough Belle: How did the first meeting between you and Neal come about?

It was ridiculous to feel nervous, Belle told herself. It was a lovely day in Storybrooke, no one had been stupid enough to gawk or whisper insults (or worse, congratulate her on nabbing the heinous but very rich Mr. Gold), and she had her lucky heels on.

What could go wrong?

"Stop fretting," her fiancé told her in a low voice, searching for her hand and squeezing lightly. "Nothing will go wrong."

For once, the overt show of affection didn't draw stares from the people around them, but that blessed privacy might have something to do with the fact that they were in the diner, and everyone knew that even if Granny Lucas loathed Mr. Gold, she had a soft spot for Colette French's daughter. It had been worth the embarrassment of confiding in the older woman when her relationship with Robert was still at its 'glance from afar, sigh in despair and daydream'.

Granny had been the one to remind her that nothing would be accomplished if she wasted her time with the impossible. Better to wake up to reality and take control of her life, she'd said.

In all honesty, Belle was aware that Granny had not meant that she should march over to the pawnshop and ask out a very confused man who became very intrigued as it became obvious that Belle wasn't playing a prank. Thanking Granny for the advice had only gotten her a grumpy huff and a warning about Gold's temper. But at least everyone in town knew that they risked cold lasagnas and watery coffee if they made Belle feel uncomfortable under Granny's watch.

No wonder that Robert had chosen this place, when it came to having lunch with his son. He had looked amused when Belle confessed that she'd prefer to meet Neal for the first time in public, where she could withdraw to the restroom and then flee back to her apartment if he took a dislike to her. 

"Impossible," he had said, but he'd still indulged her.

"Neal will adore you," Robert said again in the present, easily pinpointing the source of her disquiet. "He just wants to see me happy. He said so. Several times. You have absolutely nothing to worry about, sweetheart."

"I know," Belle said. From the look Robert gave her, she had said it too quickly. She gave him a rueful smile. "Maybe I'm a little bit nervous?"

He leaned closer to kiss her temple. "It's all right," he said again.

Belle reminded herself that, from all accounts, Neal Gold was an even-tempered boy with kind eyes and an easy laugh. Robert insisted that his son didn't care about someone replacing his mother, and if Neal had been unfailingly polite to Cora, then he wouldn't be able to do anything but approve of Belle.

But Belle didn't want his approval only. She wanted them to be a _family_ , even when she was the first to acknowledge the awkwardness of his stepmother-to-be being barely two years Neal's senior. Father and child had a close relationship she could only wish to share with her own father, and it would pain her to see it cool off on her behalf. For all Robert insisted that he and Neal had strengthened their bond after years of misery, that nothing short of murder would make them change their minds (and, knowing Robert as she did, Belle was sure that he'd be more than glad to help his son hide the evidence), Belle still was afraid that she would be the cause for them to backtrack.

What young man on the path to a successful career would take a look at her, with her high school grades and her one useless diploma as her highest accomplishment, and trust that she was not taking advantage of his father?

But she had told this to Robert already, and he had always reassured her.

"There he is," he said now, smiling at the figure coming into the diner.

Belle sat up straight, thankful that father and son were distracted greeting each other. It gave her a precious moment to compose herself and attempt a smile before she stood to her feet and stepped forward.

"So this is she," Neal was saying, a hand comfortable resting on his father's shoulder after their hug, while the other came up to signal he meant to shake hands with her.

To Belle's horror, that was the moment she discovered her palms were sweating. "I..." She curled her hands into fists and hid them behind her back, rubbing them against her dress and aware that her cheeks were flaming with embarrassment. Her smile now felt forced. From the look Robert was giving her, it must have looked even odder. "...hey."

Neal withdrew his hand without comment, eyebrow lifting. He flicked a questioning glance at his father, who answered with the subtlest shrug Belle had ever seen him try.

Belle braced herself for the scorn.

Instead she almost tripped on air when she was hauled into a big hug. 

Laughter greeted her obvious shock. "Oh, what the hell. I've been wanting to do this for weeks anyway," Neal said. He let her go but grabbed her shoulders to keep her close. Belle send a quick prayer of gratefulness because, at that moment, his grip was keeping her upright as well. 

"Uh," she managed, still dumbfounded. The fond laugh that left Robert, who stood at her side and was now looking between her and his son with a smile, made her hope that the situation wasn't as bad as she'd feared. "Nice to meet you?"

"Nice to meet you too, Belle," Neal said, grinning. "And you're right; handshakes are for strangers. But you - you're family now, aren't you?"

Belle told herself she wouldn't cry, but the horrified look on the expression of both men told her that she'd been unsuccessful. "They're happy tears," she promised them, blinking rapidly and wiping at her cheeks with the back of her hand. "Of course I want us to be a family."

Robert put an arm around her shoulder, bringing her closer against him before he nudged her into taking a seat and following after her.

Never losing his smile, Neal sat on the booth opposite theirs. "Good," he said, mischievous twinkle in his eye. "I'd hate to have to wait until the wedding to start calling you 'mom'."

Belle's eyes widened, but she grabbed onto Robert's arm when he would have protested. If the son was anything like his father, then the best way to win him over was to match him shot for shot. "I have the feeling you'll be quite the rebellious child," she said, smirking a little too. "Take care I don't send you home without dessert."

Neal laughed. Nodded at his father. "I can see why you like her," he said.

That seemed to embolden Robert to kiss her cheek despite their being in public. "Told you she was the best."

Belle leaned against her fiancé's shoulder, too happy for words.

For once, she was happy to be proved wrong.

She really had nothing to worry about.

 

The End  
08/11/16

**Author's Note:**

> *points at comment box* Please?


End file.
